The Phillies have long needed a reliable left-handed power bat off the bench, and it appears now they have their guy for the stretch run of the season and possibly beyond.

The Phillies announced Friday the club acquired first baseman slugger Justin Bour from the Miami Marlins in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect McKenzie Mills. The Marlins also sent cash to the Phillies in the deal.

Bour, 30, has 19 homers and 54 RBIs over 103 games this season. He's a career .262 hitter over five seasons, but he's hitting just .227 this year and has particularly struggled over his last 30 games, hitting a measly .202 with a .298 on-base percentage.

A threat off the bench, Bour also will see time at first base occasionally when Carlos Santana takes a breather.

To make room for Bour on the 40-man roster, the Phillies designated right-hander Jake Thompson for assignment. The acquisition also means the club will have to make a decision on who to option from the 25-man roster. J.P. Crawford was activated from the disabled list on Friday, but he or Scott Kingery could be sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Kingery has struggled significantly this season, hitting just .223 with a .266 on-base percentage over 367 at-bats.

Mills, 22, was acquired by the Phillies in a deal that sent veteran Howie Kendrick to Washington at last year's trade deadline. Over 20 appearances, 16 starts, the lefty was 2-5 with a 3.51 ERA.

It's not a significant cost for the Phillies to spend. Bour isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season, meaning the Phillies could go to arbitration if interested and likely pay him somewhere in the neighborhood of $4 million, or simply non-tender him and let him walk.

For now, the focus on Bour is what he can contribute now in the midst of a pennant race.
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